Description: Answers to questions that have surfaced with regard to recent trends in the use of psychiatric medications, including relative effectiveness compared to prescribing patterns, drivers of prescribing patterns, classification and indications for recently publicized drugs, role of primary care providers, preventive use ofdementia medications, and new developments in the field.

Description: Panelists discuss the current trend environment and estimating future trend. From the Record of the SOA, Vol. 29, No. 2, Session 52

Description: This analysis provides an overview of the functional components of the managed care system. It discusses the market forces underlying the United States’ system for health care financing and delivery and suggests how market forces impact the health care industry. The analysis focuses on societal goals for health care delivery and on managed care’s effectiveness in enabling achievement of those goals. The analysis develops and uses an innovative model developed to summarize the complex interplay among the many stakeholders, or participants, in the health care system. The model provides a framework for analysis of the many relationships among stakeholders. The analysis also highlights current issues in managed care, particularly the barriers that impede collaboration among stakeholders.

Description: Panelists provide an update on recent events in consumer-driven health care, including the regulatory environment, results versus expectations and the implications for the overall group health marketplace. From the Record of the Society of Actuaries, Volume 29, No. 3, Session 62

Description: Since health care reform has made accountable care organizations a hot topic, an SOA workgroup is addressing relevant questions, including provider risk under various ACO models, limitations of the Medicare model for motivating change in the health care delivery system, strategic priorities, attribution of members, meaurement, and the roles actuaries can play.

Description: This article contains a condensed summary and excerpt from the fourth white paper in the Commercial Health Care: What’s Next? series.

Description: This session is geared to give participants a keener insight into the post September 11 factors underlying health care cost trends and how others in the industry view the future of health care costs. From the Record of the Society of Actuaries, Volume 28, No. 2, Session 4

Description: Essay reforming management in health care, structure of reimbursement, program management, health information, measurement systems, etc.

Description: Current Status of managing costs & increasing costs, Future Direction of Consumerism, technology and defined contribution health plans. Issue No. 39.